RoR made some points via PM. Replying here so everyone knows the score.
RulerofRails wrote:The Milwaukee Streamliner? Looks nice.
Hey, if you are enthused about a new engine, no harm in finishing even if it delays the car project a bit. I see all these cool models, but no way to play with them in the game. . . .
But hey, I can't make anything myself so I'm happy for what is available.
Having new engines in the pack with the cars will definitely encourage people to use it because after all engines are more exciting than cars. Just a thought.
I had thought of all that.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
I have noticed that after all the work I did, that Mogul upgrade pack has only been downloaded a few times, and isn't in the archives yet, and the only thanks I got for it were from you and Jim. Which is ok since I can use them myself whenever I like, but does give me the impression that regardless of what I do I'm really just messing around to please myself.
One problem with getting things finished is that really, by professional or even experienced amateur standards, I'm a beginner at modelling and skinning. I still hit sticking points fairly regularly, which I figure out ways around after trying different things. Having a range of models on the go helps since it gives several ways of looking at different problems and methods. I find each model is useful and interesting for development of skills, as well as the educational/technical/historical interest related to researching them.
And yes, cars are not as exciting as locomotives. I've recently realised that I don't have to re-skin all the cars for this proposed pack, because most people use the default cars and skins anyway. I'm so used to WP&P's custom cars that until recently I wasn't aware that most people don't use them. Even Hawk didn't have them in his installation when I made that test map with steamships. Anyway the upshot is that default skins are fine for most people, so I should skip reskinning all the cargo cars for now and use default skins as much as possible to get things going. Having decided on that I will try to stick to it, which should help progress.
The Milwaukee streamliner came from me taking another look at a problematic area of the Victorian S class model I had started yonks ago. As a Sunday morning coffee exercise I figured out a solution, which involved using Blender in ways I hadn't tried before. Then I started thinking that the Milwaukee one would be quite easy to do. I decided to try it as an exercise to see how quickly I could do a convincing job, without having any actual plans available. The good news is that I'm getting better, so hopefully finishing things should become easier. OTOH the game doesn't need yet another express choofer in the 1930's, so I probably shouldn't prioritise it over more useful options.
I have decided on a plan for locomotives too, and will try to stick to that as well. I went through my stashed models and ranked them according to level of progress towards completion, and desirability and usefulness as an addition to the game's roster.
The 4-6-0 "Thatcher Perkins" upgrade is currently nearest to completion. It would be a good addition to the roster. It has UV mapping
and skinning almost finished. These are the two most important things, since the 3D mesh and the hex coding are not big obstacles for me with my current skill levels. I've even come to like the thing too. So since that one is almost ready to roll, I'll do it first.
The next nearest to completion are the Pennsy H3 2-8-0 and the LMR Lion 0-4-2. These have the mesh and UV mapping 99% sorted. They still require skinning, but I think I can skin them pretty quickly. Both of them would be useful additions to the 19th century freight roster, and I like both of them, so it makes sense do them next.
The not-quite-as-ready-as-that-but-not-too-far-out-in-the-weeds category that comes next has a bunch of locos in it. Of these, the DX Goods would have to be the highest priority. The current 1.06 version is so dismal that I never use it, but it really is a useful and likeable choofer and I'm sure a decent version would be popular.
After that, things get interesting. Honestly I cannot be bothered fixing all the problems with 1.06 locomotives. Some of them just don't interest me, and I never use them anyway. I'm filing them under "someone else's problem", and my efforts will be going into other things.
And now I have to go chase the neighbour's cows out and get them back in the paddock next door, then fix the fence so they stay where they are supposed to be.
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)